2 arrested for abusing, threatening Kashmir girl band online, more arrests likely

Srinagar: Two youth were arrested on Wednesday night in connection with the online abuses and threats to the all-girl rock band of Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, "I'm glad the police in Kashmir have identified and arrested 2 people for the online threats made to the girls. I'm told more arrests are possible."

Tariq Khan was apprehended from Bijbehara, a town in South Kashmir, and Rameez Shah was arrested from Ganderbal in central Kashmir, police sources said.

Police continued to raid different places to apprehend a third accused who hails from Batmaloo area of Srinagar city. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Ashok Prasad, who is closely monitoring the case, has directed stepping up of patrolling in the areas where two of the three girls of the band group reside.

Jammu and Kashmir\'s first girl band on Monday decided to call it quits after a fatwa was issued against them by the valley\'s Grand Mufti.

Police have started tracking down the Internet Protocl addresses of the 26 users whose comments, out of the total 900 posts on the band's Facebook page, were found abusive, officials said.

They said the delay of three days in lodging the FIR was due to large number of posts on the Facebook page of Kashmir's all-girl band 'Pragaash', that took time to get scanned.

A case in the matter has been registered under Section 66A of IT Act and Section 506 RPC (criminal intimidation) in the Rajbagh police station in Srinagar.

A member of the band had on Tuesday said they decided to call it quits as they respected the decree of Kashmir's grand mufti who found singing un-Islamic.

"We respect the Mufti sahib who said it (singing) is 'Haram'. We respect the opinion of people of Kashmir also. That is why we quit," she said adding that the band was not disbanded because of online threats.

The DGP has requested all central agencies to extend support to apprehend all those who had hurled online abuses at the all-girls band.

(With additional information from PTI)

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